Mary. A.D. Balaamite read." "I knew Greek too once, as well as you; I care not which you Philpot :-"You know them then all alike; you understand the one as well as 1555. the other." With this my Balaamite kinsman departed in a fury. The next bishops. The next day after I was brought down again, after dinner, to the chapel, day's talk and there my Balaamite kinsman (to verify the Scriptures, that a man's own with the kinsfolks shall be his enemies) came in with the bishop as a witness against me: and there the bishop caused another that came to him about other matters, to swear also to be a witness against me, which was a priest also; saying, "You shall swear to depose all the truth of certain articles you shall be inquired of concerning this man; and here I (according to the law) do bring them forth in Philpot. thy presence. Witness again sworn against Philpot again Philpot::-" My lord, I do not agree to the production of them, but do appeal appealeth from all these and other your proceedings against me: and require you, master from the Registrar, that my appeal may be entered, and I will give you for your labour." Registrar :-"Your appeal shall be entered at leisure. Whom do you appeal bishop. Yet an unto? tell me." Philpot: "I appeal to a higher judge, as to the lieutenant of the archbishopric of Canterbury; for I know not who is bishop thereof at this present." With that the bishop went away, and my Balaamite kinsman looked big upon me, but said never a word. Thus have I in haste scribbled out all mine examinations hitherto, that the same which hath been done unto me in dark, might come to light, and that the papists' unjust proceedings, and nakedness in their false religion, might be known to their confusion. Jesus is Emmanuel, that is, God with us. 1555. Amen. The Eleventh Examination of John Philpot, had on St. Andrew's I was coming, being sent for with my keeper; and the bishop of London met me in his hall-door, and full mannerly he played the gentleman-usher to bring me before the lords, saying, "My lords, I shall desire you to take some pains with this man; he is a gentleman, and I would he should do well, but he will bishops wilfully cast away himself." other examination of John Philpot before and doc tors. Durham:-" Come hither sir; what is your name?" Philpot :-"My name is Philpot.” Durham :-"I have heard of that name to be a worshipful stock; and since you be a gentleman, do as you may live worshipfully among other gentlemen. What is the cause of your trouble now?" I told him the cause, as in my former examinations is expressed. Durham:-"Well, all causes set apart, will you now be a conformable man to the catholic faith, and leave all new fangled opinions and heresies? I wis I was in Germany with Luther at the beginning of these opinions, and can tell how they began. Leave them, and follow the catholic church throughout the whole world, as the whole realm now doth." Philpot: :-"My lord, I am of the catholic faith, and desire to live and die in the same. But it is not unknown to your lordship, that I with others these twenty years have been taught another manner of faith than you now go about to compel us unto: wherefore it is requisite that we have a time to weigh the same, and to hear how it agreeth with God's word. For faith is not at a sudden manner as this of Stephen's, and is the one alluded to in Foxe (vol. v. p. 117), as containing the first mention of Tonstall's name, by which Tyndale was attracted :-see Russel's edition of Tyndale and Frith's works, vol. i. p. 500. Foxe says, "in the annotations;" but it would be more correct to refer to the "capita argum. contra morosos quosdam ac indoctos," near the close. These precede the text, and are in the Basle edition unpaged; and here it is that Tonstall's name appears as bishop of London.-ED. neither won, neither removed, but, as St. Paul saith, 'Faith cometh by hearing, Mary. and hearing by the word.' "' faith to be Chichester:-" And if you will give me leave, my lord, I will show him how A. D. he taketh the saying of St. Paul amiss, as many others now-a-days alleging the 1555. same do, that they ought not to be compelled to believe: whereas St. Paul Papists meaneth of infidels, and not of the faithful. And so St. Augustine, writing will have against the Donatists, saith, that the faithful may be compelled to believe." compellPhilpot:-"St. Bernard (and it please your lordship) doth take that sense ed. of St. Paul as I do, saying, that faith must be persuaded to a man, and not en- Faith joined. And St. Augustine speaketh of such as were first thoroughly per-com suaded by manifest scriptures, and yet would resist of stubborn wilfulness.' pelled. Chichester: -"So Bernard meaneth of infidels also." Philpot :-"No, my lord, that he doth not, for he writeth not of the infidels, but he writeth of such as were deceived by errors.' Chichester ::-"My lord of Durham, I have been so bold to interrupt your lordship of your tale: I pray you now proceed on." I per ought not Durham:-"Master Philpot, will you be of the same catholic faith and church with us [which] you were baptized in, and your godfathers promised for you, and hold as we do? and then may you be rid out of trouble." ceive you are learned, and it is pity but you should do well." Philpot:-"I am of the same catholic faith and catholic church I was bap- Philpot tized unto, and in that will I live and die." of what faith. Durham:-"That is well said: if you hold there, you cannot do but well." Chichester:-"Yea, my lord, but he meaneth otherwise than you do. Are No man bound to faith of you of the same faith your godfathers and godmothers were, or no?" Philpot:-"I cannot tell what faith they were of certainly, but I am of the be of the faith I was baptized unto, which is, the faith of Christ: for I was not baptized his godin the faith of my godfathers, but in the faith of Christ." Chichester:-"St. Augustine saith, that infants are baptized in the faith of their godfathers."4 fathers in every respect. Philpot :-"St. Augustine yet in so saying meaneth of the faith of Christ, St. Auwhich the godfathers do or ought to believe; and not otherwise." Durham - "How say you, will you believe as we do, and all the learned of the realm, or no? and be of one church with us?" Philpot:-" :-"My lords, it is not unknown to you, that there hath been always two churches." gustine. church church and false Chichester:-"Nay, that is not so: there is but one catholic church." Philpot:-"I shall desire your lordships to hear out my tale, and to take The true my meaning. For I know there is but one true church; but always from the and the beginning there hath been joined to the same true church a false church, adver- false sary to the true: and that was declared at the first in Abel and Cain, who per- evercoinsecuted and slew his brother, in whom (as St. Augustine witnesseth) is repre- ed togesented the false and true church. And after that, as soon as God had chosen ther. his peculiar people, and showed unto them his sanctuary, holy statutes, and The true will, anon after rose the false church, and ten of the twelve tribes of Israel church divided themselves from the true church of Judah and Benjamin, and made to declared themselves at Bethel and set up golden calves; and yet pretended therewith first in to serve God, and so abused his word. Notwithstanding God was displeased Cain." with them, and ceased not his wrath, until he had utterly destroyed them." Chichester:-"I will grant you before the coming of Christ, there were two Dr. Day churches in the old law; but in the new law, since Christ's coming, you cannot driven to show it to be so by the Scripture." Philpot :-"Yes, my lord, that I can, if you will give me leave. After Christ (1) "Fides ex auditu, auditus per verbum." (2) St. Augustine's sentiments upon this point occasionally seem rather perplexed; but the testimony in favour of lenient measures is clear, and greatly preponderates. In the passage supposed to be here referred to (contra Gaudent. Donatist. lib. i. cap. 25, § 28), the concluding words must have been overlooked: "qui" (Deus) "eos volentes facit, dum coguntur inviti." In a similar way the following passage has been perverted and mutilated in Dens's Theology (vol. ii. p. 80), and probably by hundreds of other Romish writers and transcribers: "Non ut homines, quod fieri non potest, nolentes credant, sed ut volentes ex nolentibus fiant." (Aug. contra duas Epist. Pelag. lib. i. cap. 37, tom. x. col. 428, edit. 1688.)-ED. (3) Fides est suadenda, et non imponenda." Bernard. in Cant. Ser. 66. [See his Works. Basil, 1552, p. 1045.-ED.] (4)" In fide susceptorum." VOL. VII. (5) Aug. de Civ. Dei, lib. xv. cap. 15. UU Abel and a strait. Mary. A. D. 1555. The bishops begin to be weary of their part. Bonner would out matter if he had chosen his twelve apostles was there not a Judas in the new law, and a Simon Magus? and were not they of the false church?" you Chichester:-" Yea, but I mean after the gospel was written: where can find me two churches after Christ had ascended, and sent the Holy Ghost?" Philpot:-" :-"The gospel was, within eight years after the ascension, written by St. Matthew; and the writing thereof is not material to the declaration of these two churches to have been always from time to time, as by example it may be showed; and yet, as evil as my memory is, I remember in the New Testament is mention made of two churches, as it appeareth in the Apocalypse; and also St. Paul to the Thessalonians maketh mention that Antichrist, with his false generation, shall sit in the temple of God." [To the which Chichester replied not.] Durham:-"The church in the Scripture is likened to a great fisher's net, which containeth in it both good fishes and bad fishes. I trust you will be of the better sort, and lean to the truth." Philpot:-"My lord, it is my whole desire now to follow that which is good, whatsoever I have done in times past, and to cleave to God's truth." Durham:-"Do you so, and then shall you do well. It is almost night, my lord of London, I must needs be gone." 1 London:-"Nay, my lord of Durham, I must desire your lordship, and my lord of Chichester, to tarry a little while." And before he had so said, the bishop of Bath went his way without saying any word. "What, my lord of Bath, will you be gone? I pray you tarry. My lords, I have earnest matters to charge this man withal, whereof I would your lordships to be made privy, and I have them here written in a libel. I pray you sit down again, or else I will. First, I lay fain pick to him here, that he hath written in a bible, which I took from him, this erroneous saying, 'The Holy Ghost is Christ's vicar in earth,' Wilt thou abide by this saying of thine; that the Spirit is Christ's vicar on earth?" Philpot: My lord, it is not my saying, it is a better learned man's than mine; for I use not to write mine own sayings, but the notable sayings of other ancient writers, as all others be, where ye find the same written. And, as I remember, it is even the saying of St. Bernard, and a saying that I need not to be ashamed of, neither you to be offended at, as my lord of Durham and my lord of Chichester by their learning can discern, and will not reckon it evil said." London:-"No will? Why, take away the first syllable, and it soundeth could tell how. See Appendix. Another matter picked against Arius." ་ད་ Philpot :-"That is far fetched indeed: if your lordship will scan men's sayings in such wise, you may find out what you list." London::-"But to help this, I find moreover written with his own hand in another book, 'In me Johanne Philpotto ubi abundavit peccatum, superabundavit et gratia;' that is, 'In me John Philpot, where sin did abound, grace Philpot. hath superabounded.' I pray you what superabundant grace have you more than other men? So said Arius, that he had the abundance of grace above all other." Philpot, falsely charged Philpot :- My lord, you need not be offended with that saying more than the other, for it is the saying of St. Paul himself; and I did apply it to myself for my comfort, knowing that though my sins be huge and great in the sight of God, yet is his mercy and grace above them all. And concerning Arius and his adherents, I defy them, as it is well known I have written against them." London:-" Also I lay to thy charge, that thou killedst thy father, and was accursed of thy mother in her death-bed, as I can bring witness thereof." Philpot :-"O Lord, what blasphemy is this! Hath your lordship nothing of truth to charge me withal, but (as I may speak it with your honours) such forged with un- blasphemous lies? If any of these can be proved, I will promise here to recant at Paul's Cross, what you will have me: I am so sure they are as great blasphemies as may be objected against any man. Hah, my lords! I pray be found you consider how my lord of London hath hitherto proceeded against me: for indeed he hath none other but such pretensed slanderous lies." truth, when no truth can against him. Chichester:- -"They be 'Tapepya; that is, matters beside the purpose." Durham London: 66 "Nay my lord, here is a letter which I shall desire your lordship to hear ere you go. This man (being in my keeping) hath taken upon him to (1) "Quod Spiritus est vicarius Christi in terrâ." (2) Rom. v. 1 Tim. i. Mary. A.D. 1555. write letters out of prison, and to pervert a young gentleman, called master Green, in my house (Call him hither!) and hath made a false report of his examination, as you shall hear, not being content to be evil himself, but to make others as bad as himself. He all-to tare the letter when he saw my man went about to search him; but yet I have pieced it again together, and caused a Philpot copy to be written thereof." [And he read the torn letter, bidding master Chris-charged topherson and Doctor Morgan to mark the copy thereof.] with a letter Green. The contents of the letter were the examination of master Green before the written to bishop of London in the presence of master Fecknam, dean of Paul's, and of master divers others; whose ready answers in the Scriptures and in the doctors were wondered at of the dean himself, and of many others, as Fecknam did report; tents of and that he was first committed to Dr. Chedsey, and after to Dr. Dee the great Philpot's conjurer,* and to have his meat from the bishop's own table. "How say you, Green. my lords, was this well done of him, being my prisoner, to write this? And yet he hath written a shameful lie, that he was in Dr. Chedsey's keeping. How say you, master doctor Chedsey, is it not a shameful lie?" Chedsey:-"Yes, my lord, he was never in my keeping." letter to London:-"Art thou not ashamed, to write such shameful lies? Come hither, Green master Green, Did not I show you this letter?" called. charged Green:-"Yea forsooth, my lord; you showed it me." London:-"How think you, my lords, is not this an honest man to belie me, Philpot and to call my chaplain a great conjuror?" [My lord of Durham smiled thereat.] again Philpot:- "Your lordship doth mistake all things. This letter (as your lord- with an ship may perceive, and all others that have heard the same) was not written by untruth, me, but by a friend of mine, certifying me at my request, how master Green sped at the bishop of London's hands: and there is nothing in the letter that either I, or he that wrote it, need to fear, but that might be written as my report." London :—“Then tell me who wrote it, if you dare.” Philpot::-"No, my lord, it is not my duty to accuse my friend; and specially seeing you will take all things to the worst: neither shall you ever know of me who wrote it. Your lordship may see in the end of the letter, that my friend did write unto me upon the occasion of my appeal, which I have made to the whole parliament house about such matters as I am wrongfully troubled for." London:-"I would see any so hardy to put up thine appeal." Philpot :- "My lord, I cannot tell what God will work: I have written it, speed it as it may." London :-"My lords, I have used him with much gentleness since he came to me. How sayest thou; have I not?" Philpot :-"If to lie in the vilest prison in this town (being a gentleman and an archdeacon), and in a coal-house, by the space of five or six weeks already, without fire or candle, be to be counted gentleness at your hands, I must needs say I have found gentleness. But there were never men so cruelly handled as we are at these days." See London:-"Lo, what a varlet is this! Besides this, my lords, even yesterday he procured his man to bring a bladder of black powder, I cannot tell for what Appendix. purpose, I." Philpot:-"Your lordship needeth not to mistrust the matter: it is nothing Black but to make ink withal, for lack of ink, as I had it before in the King's Bench, powder when my keeper took away my inkhorn. sent to Philpot to London :-" And why shouldst thou go about any such thing unknown unto make ink. me, being thy keeper? for I am thy keeper in this house, I tell thee." Philpot:"My lord, because you have caused my pennar and inkhorn to be taken from me, I would yet fain that my friends might understand what I lack: not that I intend to write any thing that I would be afraid should come to your sight." London :-" More than this, my lords, he caused a pig to be roasted, and False surmade a knife be put between the skin and the flesh; for what purpose judge mises you. How sayest thou, didst thou not so? against Philpot. Philpot "I cannot deny but there was half a pig sent me, and under the same a knife lying in the sauce, but for no ill purpose that I know: your lord (1) This letter torn in the Blind Tower, read before. (2) Note what great gentleness this bishop showed to Philpot, and compare the same with the handling now of him in his imprisonment. Mary ship may judge what you will. It was not to kill myself nor any other, as you would have men to believe; for I was never yet without a knife, since I came A.D. to prison. Therefore all these be but false surmises, and not worth rehearsal." 1555. Dr. Wes argu ments in London:-"I have here to lay to his charge (chiefest of all) his book of the report of the disputation had in the convocation-house, which is the rankest heresy that may be, against the blessed sacrament of the altar. How say you, master doctor Weston? did he maintain the same there stubbornly, or no?" Weston ::-"Yea, my lord, that he did, and would never be answered. it is pity that the same worshipful congregation should be slandered with such untrue reports.” And Philpot: :-"You answered me indeed, master doctor (being then prolocutor) ton's chief goodly, with 'Hold thy peace,' and 'Have him to prison,' and 'Put him out of the house.' I have read the book, and I find the report of every man's argument to be true in all points. And if there be any fault, it is, because it setteth forth your doings too favourably, and nothing like to that you did use me, being an archdeacon, and not of the worst of the house." the convocationhouse. See Appendix. Bishop and mas- ton give over the matter. Wisdom in God's matters consist man's learning. Weston :-"Thou art no archdeacon." Philpot :-" Indeed, master doctor, ye have amongst you unarchdeaconed me as now (I thank God of it), and that without all order of law." London:-"I pray you, my lords, hearken what he writeth of himself, I read it over this morning, and made a note of it. He saith, that Dr. Weston called him frantic and madman, and said he should go to Bethlehem." Philpot:-"Indeed my lord, so it pleased Dr. Weston to taunt at me, and say his shameful pleasure; but yet I was no whit the more so for all his sayings, than Christ was when the Scribes and the Pharisees said likewise he was mad, and that he was possessed of a devil, most blasphemously." Durham" My lord of London! I can tarry no longer, I must needs bid you farewell. Master Philpot, me thinketh you have said well, that you will abide in the catholic faith, and in the catholic church: I pray you so do, and you shall do right well." [And so he departed with master Weston and master Hussey.] Philpot:-"I have purposed so to do, howsoever I speed, by God's grace." London "I pray you my lord of Chichester, and master prolocutor, and master doctor Morgan, to commune with him whiles I bring my lord of Durham going." Christopherson :-"Master Philpot, I was acquainted with you at Rome, if you be remembered (but you have forgotten me), and talked somewhat with you of these matters; and I find you now the same man that you were then, I wish it were otherwise. For God's sake be conformable to men that be better learned than you, and stand not in your own conceit." Philpot"Whereas you call me in remembrance of acquaintance had at Rome, indeed it was so, though it were but very strange on your part, to meward, being driven to necessity." Christopherson: :-"You know the world was dangerous at that time." Whereas you say, you find me to be the same man I was then, I praise God for that you see me not like a reed wavering with every wind. And whereas you would have eth not in me follow better learned men than myself: indeed I acknowledge that you, with a great many others, are far better learned than I, whose books, in respect of learning, I am not worthy to carry after you. But faith and the wisdom of God consist not in learning only, and therefore St. Paul willeth that our faith be not grounded upon the wisdom of man. If you can show by learning out of God's book, that I ought to be of another faith than I am, I will hear you, and any other man whatsoever he be." Christopherson :-"I marvel why you should dissent from the catholic church, since it hath thus long universally been received, except within this five or six years here in England." Philpot:- I do not dissent from the true catholic church; I do only dissent from the bishop of Rome, where if you can prove to be the catholic church of Christ, I will be of the same also with you." Christopherson:"Will you believe St. Cyprian, if I can show out of him, “that the church of Rome is such a one, unto the which misbelief cannot approach." (1) "Quòd ecclesia Romana est talis ad quam perfidia accedere non potest.". |